A second week of Kookaburra balls in the County Championship saw just one of seven games end in a result. Here’s how things stand across the two divisions, with the competition now past the halfway stage.
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There are two more rounds of the competition in July before a break throughout August for the Hundred. The final run-in to crowning the winners in both divisions will start up in September, with plenty still on the line at both ends of the tables.
The title race
Surrey, on 139 points, are in pole position to defend their title, but the gap is closing. Essex’s Dan Lawrence-inspired 43-run win has put them within just 13 points of the league leaders, who are winless in their last two – a tame draw with seventh-placed Nottinghamshire demonstrated both Surrey’s bowling headaches and Ben Foakes’ continued brilliance behind the stumps. Warwickshire are also in the hunt. They are 23 points off the top with a game in hand, so within a full bonus point win of the leaders. Hampshire (26 points off the top) and Somerset (39 points back) make up the rest of the top five.
The relegation battle
Towards the other end of the table, Middlesex and Northamptonshire (placed ninth and tenth respectively) were locked in a thrilling scores-level draw at Merchant Taylors’ – both sides missing out on crucial points against each other. Centurion Sam Robson, needing three, could only score two runs from the final ball of the day, Middlesex spurning an opportunity to move well clear above bottom-placed Northants. However, a scores-level draw does secure them eight points as the side batting last, opposed to five.
Both sides look some way adrift at the bottom of the table, but each has a game in hand on Kent and Notts, the two sides just above the relegation zone. Notts have 89 points from nine games, Kent 74 from nine, Middlesex 63 from eight, and Northants 47 from eight.
The promotion race
In Division Two, even at this stage, Durham look to be too far out in front to catch. They are 47 points clear at the top, which equates to almost two maximum-points wins. They have won five games – no other side in the division has won more than two, and the rest of the teams combined have seven wins between them. However, the battle for second is heating up.
It’s not the teams you would have picked out pre-season who are leading the race. Sussex and Leicestershire were second-from-bottom and bottom in 2022 respectively. Now the table is almost flipped, with Leicestershire, on 108 points, in second, and Sussex, on 106, in third. Glamorgan and Worcestershire are a little further back, on 95 and 92 points respectively.
The wooden spoon
Derbyshire and Gloucestershire are the only two winless teams in the country. The former are two points behind, but have played one game fewer. However, they have a tough fixture next-up against Durham, will Gloucestershire will look to break their duck against Glamorgan at home.
